Lessons In Cooking
by Lina Trinch
Summary: Anyone can bake a cake, but only Holiday can chisel one. Hints at Holix/Caliday. Oneshot.


**Came up with this after 'Promises, Promises'. Poor Holiday... Poor Six... Poor cake...**

**To GHandB10Fan (cuz I know you're reading this lol). I love you, you know that right? lol**

**Everyone keeps commenting that I know Six so well and what not. I guess it's mostly due to the fact that I've wrote as him SO MUCH, which is an accident half of the time. I just sort blend into him. But, really, if you want to really get to know Six, it's not all that hard. Under his stoic-ness, you just gotta know that he's incredibly dramatic at heart. That and the chibis in his head have a lot of pent up anger and rage which comes through as his sarcastic remarks. He's actually one of the most 'emotional' people on the show, he just makes it not seem like it.**

**On to the awesome!**

**o0o**

Ok.

The exit is FINALLY in sight for our green ninja.

This day was always one to be 'just try to live through it' for the man, but something had just made it oh so much worse. It was one of the few times that he couldn't stand and fight, so an escape was in order. The only major problem was that the threat was in between him and freedom. Granted, it was behind a closed door, but really, did that matter?

Ok. He had taken on hordes of Evos by himself on multiple occasions and came out clean every time. He can do this.

Six casually put his hands in his pockets, let out a slow deep breath, and started walking down the hall.

The target was a little bit of ten feet away. The threat was about three. He could do this. Just gotta keep walking.

Nine feet. Nine in a half. Eight. Don't get crazy now, just keep cool. Seven. Threat. Threat. Threat. Walk quietly. Ok, it's behind us, now. Keep walking. Ok, jog, doesn't matter. Five. The sound of a swish from a door sounds behind him. Four. Keep walking. "Six?" Run. Two.

Holiday grabbed his arm, jerking him back. "Hey, Six. Where've you been? I need you to do something."

"Holiday," he sighed her name and sent a glare to her, "I have work to do."

She turned back to look at him blankly for a second. "Liar," she said and commenced to drag him down the hall, back to the room he just ran from.

Sometimes, he just wanted to take his shades off, throw them on the floor, and stomp on them a few times while mildly screaming obsenities. It wasn't like the damn things did any good, anyway. Not around her. She could always see right through him.

"It'll be as painless as possible, I promise," she said, leading him in the room.

He somehow doubted that for several reasons. He would've tryed to pawn it all off on Rex, but that would obviously make no sense.

She led him to stand in front of a four by eight sheet of a giant, decorated pastry. "I just want you to try it," she said, looking, for all the world, a little too hopeful.

It was Rex's birthday cake. His surprise birthday cake.

Six's argument, back in the beginning, was that, due to Rex's amnesia, the kid'll just ask for another next week, seeing as how they didn't know his birthday. Or, at least, two a year. Holiay quickly shot that down, as with all the other arguments he managed to come up with. None worked. Not like he expected them to, anyway.

In her defense, she did make it look good. The cake... The cake looked good.

He inwardly sighed again and quickly noticed something.

"What?," Holiday asked, still holding his arm to make sure he didn't try to run again. She looked from the cake, back to her hostage.

He turned to look at her. "It has no smell."

She blinked. After blinking at the cake and taking a whiff, waiting a few seconds for something to happen, she realized, "you're right," with a furrowed brow. She just finished it a few minutes ago. How could this even begin to make sense?

Somewhere in all of this, he could swear that the cake was... drying up? What kind of cake was this? Did she randomly decide to kill them?

Since they were in one of the many kitchens on Providence base, Six reached up to a cabinet, taking out a glass.

Holiday, as predicted, was dumbfounded. "What are you-" Before she could finish her sentence, she watched, in horror, as the ninja dropped the glass on top of her five hour cake.

The glass hit the cake with a clink and rolled off and over the frilly edges, rolling on to the counter top and coming to a stop. The cake was unharmed.

Well, if she decided to kill them with the cake, her plan was to hit them with it.

Just to make sure, Six knocked on the cake with his knuckles, making a sound as if hitting a rock. "What kind of icing is this, Doctor?," he asked, wondering if she somehow mixed up cooking ingredients with something from her lab.

She didn't answer, so he looked down at her. Her face had a slight pout to it and her eyes were starting to water up. It was _almost _kind of cute. Like adorable, cute... _Almost_, mind you.

Holiday poked her cake, it not budging an inch. This didn't make sense. She _just_ finished making it, as evident from the mess that littered the tiny kitchen and some of her clothes. She gripped the corner with her free hand, prying on it now. Suddenly, the edge broke off.

Even the actual cake was solid as a rock. "I broke my cake," she pouted at the piece in her hand, her voice cracking a little.

Six could say that she did a little more than _break_ it. She sort of... chiseled it... "It's like a statue...," he said, looking back down at it.

"Yeah," her voice squeaked, her hands absently tightening on the piece and his arm.

He was just curious of how she even managed to do this. Upon looking back down at her, he realized that he had to say something... that wasn't like his last comment. Either that, or he could take the opportunity to run away...

"It does look good," he tried.

"Yeah," her voice squeaked again, as she looked back to the cake, "It does." Somehow, that seemed to have made it worse.

Might as well go with honesty on this one. "Well, you know," he started wondering if he should really say it. It would either make or break the situation and if something else broke, it would get bad. He decided to, at least, try. "Anyone can bake a cake," he heard her sniffle and quickly continued, "But only you can... make a... cake... statue... thing... I mean, I don't think anyone else can, even if they tried."

Her big, green, watery eyes looked up at him. She seemed to realize that he was actually trying to... comfort her and that alone sort of made it a little better. He was rewarded with a sad, but slowly getting happier, smile. "I guess, so," she answered.

Might as well try to go for gold. "He'll like it," he continued, "just because you took the time to make something just for him. In fact, he'll probably love that fact."

"You think so?," she asked, eyes bright. There it was, the finish line.

"Yeah, he'll love it," he said in his usual stoic facade. Which meant that, yes, he did really think that.

Almost scarring him, she quickly pulled him in a hug. "Oh! Thank you, Six!," she screamed with delight.

He was never the hugging type. He let her hug him a few times, only when it really, really mattered, but right now, when it really, really didn't, he found that he wasn't minding it as much as he thought he would. Though, it was now time to get back to the world of the sane. "But, you should probably still find something that's edible."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he knew that he just crossed the line, looked back at it, and set it on fire.

He didn't get the 'fiery woman from hell' or the 'crying five year old' reaction he was expecting and on guard for, though.

Without letting him go, she merely looked back down at the cake, in pity for the poor dear. "Yeah, you're right." She finally released him and, seeming cured of her earlier depression, dug in her pocket a second for her phone. "Maybe Callan can pick one up. He went out to grab some stuff."

Six's mind stalled, as she looked through her contacts. "You have... Callan's number?"

"Yeah, don't you?," she asked looking back to him and putting the phone to her ear.

Yes... He did... But that still didn't really...

"Callan?," and now she was on the phone, "Can you pick up a cake for Rex?" Her face went blank for a second as she glanced down at the stone that was cake. "Uh, yeah, well, I did and, uh, I was just thinking that, maybe we'll need two. You know, might be a lot of people." She went blank, again. "Why don't I make two?" She glanced at Six, then got a moke angry face about her. "Because I'm a busy person, Callan! Geez! No, it doesn't matter what kind. Ok, see you in a few." She hung up with a sigh and looked back to Six. "How was that?"

"Fantastic," he answered with his frown, deciding to not go ahead and give her a thumbs up, too.

A teenaged voice sounded through the closed door. "Someone in there?," it asked.

Six and Holiday both turned to the door with pure horror etched on their features. The agent quickly realized that the woman was now trying to push him towards the door. "What are you doing?," he whispered, honestly curious about it.

"You have to stall him," she said, in a screaming whisper herself.

"Stall him? Me? Why?," he now had both hands on the frame of the door, seeing as how she was making progress with the 'shoving him out' and all. "It's his birthday, anyway."

"No, it isn't."

"It might be."

"Six, it's a surprise," she said in her angry whisper again, "You have to stall him."

"What exactly am I supposed to do?" He was starting to panic a little. 

The voice outside was starting to get closer. "Hello?" Rex knew very well that no one really used the kitchens all that much. He probably thought someone was having some trouble... Which... He wasn't really that far off the mark...

Holiday pushed harder against Six's back as he put more force against the door frame. "Doctor, this isn't very professional."

"You're the one being stubborn."

"I'm not stubborn, just smart."

"Oh please, you are the most stubborn person I know."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Six, just go."

"Why me?"

She was starting to make progress. He tried digging his nails in the metal, like claws, but it didn't work too well.

"Try to make up something."

"Like what? I decided to bake cookies?"

"Yeah, tell him that."

"Oh yeah, that'll work."

"You have to tell him something. That doesn't include me or the cake or the party or his birthday or anything."

"So, I just stand there."

"That'll work, too. At least, it'll distract him."

"Seriously, Holiday."

"Say something about flu shots or something."

"In. The. Kitchen."

"At least. I'm. Thinking."

The door started to open. Holiday gave him another good push.

"Dammit!" Six ran into Rex head on. The kid fell back on the floor and Six barely managed to get his footing in time before he fell, too.

The door quickly closed behind him.

Rex, who was sitting on the floor, glanced up at a dishevealed Six. He stood, as the ninja fixed his tie. "Alright, what's up?"

"Nothing."

"Was that Doctor Holiday in-"

"No."

"You sur-"

"Yes."

Rex gave him a look. "You sure you aren't lying Six. Not trying to make a move on my woman or you?"

Six drew a total blank and just blinked at the kid. Behind the door, he could hear a small squeaking sound that was, to him, the unmistakable noise of Holiday trying to hold back a laugh. Great, she was listening in. What joy.

"Excuse me?," he asked, trying to figure out the kid.

Rex continued, not really knowing if the doctor was in there or not, "Cause, you know, I'd probably have to fight you for her or something."

"Yeah...," Six started to walk down the hall, "That'll happen."

The teenager, still a little curious, walked closer to the mysterious door, until Six stopped walking. "Come on," was all he said and continued.

Rex looked between the green ninja and the door. He figured that he could probably just question Holiday about it later and decided to follow Six.

... Who now had to figure out where he was going to lead the kid... Maybe he could make a few laps around base and Rex won't notice... Yeah... Well, might as well try.

o0o

The party went... loud. Six couldn't really say 'well' since parties weren't really his thing anyway, but from the reactions he gauged from Holiday, it must have gone pretty well. According to him, it wasn't as much for Rex as it was for her, just to feel like she was doing something for him. Something normal.

Six, having only left the party a few minutes ago, since it was breaking up anyway, was currently walking down the hall, when he heard voices around the corner. Upon recognizing them, he played with the option of joining on the conversation, but decided to just leave it between the two. Didn't mean he couldn't listen in, though.

Standing outside the door of Rex's room, was the kid himself and the doctor.

"Did you enjoy today, Rex?," she asked tiredly. It was late and she had been working with this idea for almost a month now. That and she still actually had real work to do.

"Enjoy it?," he asked incrediously, "A whole day for me and you wonder if I enjoyed it? It was a blast, Doc. Thanks for putting all this together for me."

She just waved her hand. "Don't worry about. It was a lot of Six, too, whether he admits or not."

Well, that was a lie. He barely did anything for this, except for the stuff she forced him to do. It was still kind of nice to be included, though.

"Yeah, but I bet you had to hold him at gun point."

Or Rex maybe knew him a little too well for that idea to stay 'nice'.

"He wasn't that bad," she defended with a snicker.

"So...," and here it comes, "Any chance of this happening next week? I mean, we still don't really-"

"No," she answered quickly, learning this language from Six.

"Well, I get your point and everything, but-"

"No."

"Well, yeah, but-"

"No."

"Egh," the kid sighed, "Alright, I get it." He quickly softened up, still trying to keep her on the best side possible. "Thanks anyway, Doc."

"You're welcome, Rex," she sighed with a small smile.

"You know, though," and here was the other one, "Since this was so much trouble for you, I should pay you back somehow. Maybe dinner?"

"Maybe later."

That caught his attention. "Maybe?"

"Or maybe not," she revised.

"I'll take maybe," he said, trying to keep optimistic about it. "You know, you do look tired, Doc. Maybe you want to crash with-"

"I'm good, Rex," she laughed at him. She started to walk away.

"The option's open!," he yelled after her.

"I'll keep it in mind," she called back to him, as he slumped into his room. Poor guy had to be tired.

Holiday was just starting the trek back to her lab. The party had gone longer than she thought and the time got away from her. It was already late and there was still a lot of work to do.

"That was a good thing you did," she heard the unmistakable voice of her partner, leaning against the wall.

After a glance to him, she stopped walking. "Turning down Rex's offer of a sleep over?"

Six smirked. "Yeah, that."

She gave him a small smile, kind of surprised that he came out of hiding willingly. Supposing since the party was over, things did seem a bit safer for the moment.

A few years ago, through a random fit to find out a little bit more on her green partner, she had looked through some of his, rather classified and difficult to find, files. They had already been through the whole birthday thing and since it was _his _birthday, she decided to just let him enjoy the way he wanted to... which was mostly ignoring it.

"Good night, Six," she said with her smile, walking off.

"You're going to bed?," his voice followed her already knowing the answer to that.

"No, but I do have a lot of work left to do."

"I'll help," he said, suddenly appearing beside her, walking with her, "I'm bored, anyway. It'll get done faster."

After her shock had drained away, she just gave him another smile. "Thanks, Six. Happy Birthday."

"Hmm," he grunted in return. She didn't know whether it was the fact that he was getting older or just the attention of why he hated the thought of 'birthday'... Probably the attention. Getting him something would only make it worse and she had got him something a few years back, that she never seen it again. Assuming it was just gone or buried somewhere, she never really thought to ask. Thus, she didn't get him anything and always felt kind of bad about it every year.

She opened her mouth and Six knew the words that were coming out, so he stopped them with the first thing that came to mind.

"You never did tell me why you have Callan's number."

Holiday blinked at him. "Well, don't you?"

"Well, yes, I do, but I don't know why you do?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Nevermind."

"But I don't get it."

"Nevermind."

"No, wait a minute, I'm lost."

"I know."

"What's the deal about me having his number? I mean, he does everything, but give out cards."

"What's that mean?"

"He keeps giving it to me. Like, he always forgets I already have it. He just complains that I don't call him enough, so he forgets. I don't really get him."

"..."

"So what's the big deal?"

"Nevermind."

"But what is it?"

"Nevermind."

"I'm not going to stop until you tell me."

"Aren't you tired?"

"A little, but I'm still curious."

"Don't worry about it."

"Six."

"Don't worry about it."

"Argh!"

**o0o**

**Fun Six is fun.**

**In case you haven't noticed it yet, I love the Caliday/Holix triangle. With a 'oh wow, she's hot' Callan, oblivious Holiday, and jealous Six. It just spells fun for our favourite Captain. Like, torture-ish fun. Cause Six is gonna kill him.**

**ANYWHO! This was another of the oneshots I was wanting to do. I have one more planned and another fic, that might turn into a few chaps (you guys are gonna LOVE IT) and then we're going back to Breakeven. (That's my schedule, anyway.)**

**Finals are fast approaching at school, though, so we may have a few delays here and there (also, with the holidays), but we'll get through them. Patience, my children.**

**Okie doke, then.**

**Read and Review!**


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